Today was the first time we have seen our little foster dog, Sammie, truly happy. She was running down Ventura beach, light on her feet, barking with excitement, playing with a German Shepherd and “sister” Cordelia. And Cordie is so happy to have this litte friend. She is calmer with Sammie’s presence, less barky and…
Category: Writing
The Orange Grove, the Dogs, and Ray’s Studebaker Truck
Today was the first time we have seen our little foster dog, Sammie, truly happy. She was running down Ventura beach, light on her feet, barking with excitement, playing with a German Shepherd and “sister” Cordelia. And Cordie is so happy to have this litte friend. She is calmer with Sammie’s presence, less barky and…
Enroute to Ojai, CA via the Pacific Coast Highway
Ray and I are heading up to our orange grove in Ojai for a few days. That means tent camping and no electricity. Still, we will be connected thanks to the internet. We are continuing our “organization” summer by going up to Ojai to dig into our storage bins there. We are going to pull…
Flash Essay: The Consequences of being “Nice”
When I was growing up, there was an admonition: “If you can’t say something nice, then don’t say anything at all.” This came mainly from my father, who arguably was an extremely decent person, and one who followed his own advice. I don’t recall him ever talking badly about anyone. My mother had her own…
Flash Essay: The Value of Being Good and Tired
it is 9:03 and I am beat. I feel as if I am always talking on this blog about how tired I am. Sorry about that. Part of the problem is that I am writing at night and my days tend to be full. The other is that I’ve never been very good at pacing…
Flash Essay: Late Night, Class Preparation, and Two Sweet Dogs
It is 12:43 in the morning. The night is quiet. The dogs are sleeping at my feet. I have been preparing for the personal essay writing course that I am teaching for the next five weeks through Story Circle Network. I have been reading and getting ready for the past several days, but tonight was…
Flash Essay: Saturday, Belief, and Ray Wylie Hubbard
Mid-afternoon here in LA on Saturday, the temperature a perfect 76 degree and there isn’t a cloud in the sky. I am sitting in the back yard so the dogs can poke around and hopefully do their business while I write. In just a bit, Ray and I are headed off to two different places:…
Flash Essay: Day One with Our Little Foster Dog, Sammie
I am tired. Babysitting little Sammie, our new foster Scottie, is the reason. My goodness. We’ve been downstairs, upstairs, in the house, in the back yard, and around the block twice. All with Cordelia one step ahead of little Sammie, leading the way. To my knowledge, Sammie still hasn’t peed or pooped. Our daughter Sarah…
Flash Essay: Countdown to Sammie
It is a cool evening here in LA with grey skies and a breeze that is shaking the leaves on the avocado trees out back. I’m sitting in a little outdoor alcove, which affords privacy under a canopy of green from a twenty-foot maple tree planted near the garage. I hear honking out front, and…
Flash Memoir: The End of an Era
“Yes, we’ll go to the State Fair next Saturday,” my father said. “We’ll take the family and drive to Dallas.” The words were right – the ones I wanted to hear – but my father’s tone was flat. I could tell he didn’t really want to go. He was reluctantly agreeing to the trip only…
